Matthew’s Grocery Store Adventure
A playful e-book about grocery store safety, following rules, and making healthy choices for kids ages 3-7 – plus 5 ideas for bonus activities to practice at home.
If grocery trips with your little one usually mean wandering hands, wandering feet, or a meltdown by the cereal aisle, you’re not alone. Grocery stores are loud, busy, and full of temptation, which makes them one of the hardest everyday environments for young kids to navigate calmly.
Matthew’s Grocery Store Adventure turns that same busy store into a guided, confidence-building outing. Matthew and his stuffed dragon Spike walk through the entire trip together, aisle by aisle, from holding hands in the parking lot to helping unload groceries at home, learning safety rules and smart choices along the way, without ever feeling like a lecture.
Families read this before a real shopping trip to set expectations, or use it right in the store as a gentle reminder of the “rules” Matthew follows: walk, don’t run, stay close, ask before touching, and choose one treat only after making good choices first. It’s the kind of repeated, playful practice that actually sticks.
Written by a real special needs family – every book is created from lived experience, not just theory, and 100% of proceeds support our son’s special needs journey.
What’s Inside
- Follows Matthew through a full grocery trip, from the parking lot to unpacking at home
- Teaches real grocery store safety rules: holding hands, walking (not running), and staying close
- Builds smart decision-making through Matthew’s needs-vs-wants choices at the candy and treat aisles
- Includes 5 bonus at-home activities: a safety scavenger hunt, Helper Badge role-play, a Needs vs. Wants sorting game, an “I Spy Healthy Foods” game, and Little Cashier & Cart Captain play
- Instant PDF download, optional paperback coming soon
Pairs Perfectly With a Free Printable
Extend the lesson from this book at home with our free Good Choices Weekly Chart.
Get The Free Good Choices Weekly ChartFrequently Asked Questions
What ages is this grocery store book for?
Matthew’s Grocery Store Adventure is written for children ages 3-7 who are learning grocery store safety, patience, and how to make smart choices while shopping.
Will this really help with grocery store behavior?
Many families read this book together the night before a shopping trip, or reference it right in the store, to turn Matthew’s rules (walking, staying close, choosing one treat) into a fun, familiar routine instead of a fight.
What are the 5 bonus activities ideas?
The book includes ideas for a Grocery Store Safety Scavenger Hunt, a Helper Badge role-play game, a Needs vs. Wants Cart sorting game, an “I Spy Healthy Foods” game, and a Little Cashier & Cart Captain activity, all designed to reinforce the story’s lessons at home or in the store.
My child struggles significantly with sensory overload in stores. Will this be enough?
This book is designed as a supportive tool for everyday grocery store nerves and behavior, not a replacement for professional care. For diagnosed sensory processing challenges, we recommend using it alongside guidance from your pediatrician or an occupational therapist.